What Positive Psychology Can Do for You

The term Positive Psychology was basically unknown five years ago. Today, there are numerous books, newspaper and magazine articles mentioning how you can be happier and live a meaningful life based on the scientific research findings from Positive Psychology. There are also people questioning the validity of some of these findings. As with any new field, you may have questions about how you might apply what the latest research is saying about what makes life worth living.Are you confused or curious about what Positive Psychology is and how it can be helpful to you? It is time to step back and look at where this emerging field is at and where it is going. Chris Peterson, author of A Primer in Positive Psychology (2006) does that in the May 2008 Psychology Today Blog.Peterson states that Positive Psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living. This does not imply that you should ignore or dismiss real problems that you might be experiencing, i.e., losing your job, relationship problems, etc. It is not a recycled version of the power of positive thinking or a sequel to the secret. Also, it is not to be confused with untested self-help ideas as some critics have claimed.